1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a long-lasting water-repellent textile treatment process using an ambient temperature curable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-containing polyurethane (PU) system, and the treatment process includes a predetermined process to obtain a long-lasting water-repellent textile, so as to overcome the shortcomings including poor hand feel, washing durability, and breathability of the conventional water-repellent textile, while having the features of a low cost and an environmental friendly process, and providing useful and practical industrial applications.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, new functional textile is a market trend to provide more healthy and comfortable clothes, particularly developing textiles with anti-bacterial, water-absorbent, temperature-regulating and water-repellent functions to meet the requirements for the applications in different fields such as outdoor sports, transportations, casual wears, medical protection garments, and etc. For outdoor sports and medical protection garments, the function of a water repellent effect (with a hydrophobic characteristic) and breathability are becoming absolutely necessary.
In present water-repellent textile manufacturing technologies, a fluorine-containing substance with high electronegativity is generally used as a recipe for the water-repellent surface modification. Since fluorine comes with small atomic radius and high electronegativity which can reduce the surface energy of substance effectively, therefore a conventional fluorine-containing water repellent (such as a fluorine-containing acrylic resin) can be applied or a polyvinyl difluoride (PVDF) or Teflon film can be attached onto the surface of fabrics to achieve the water-repellent effect. However, the prior art has the following drawbacks:
1. Poor Hand Feel: A water repellent layer is coated onto a textile surface for achieving the water repellent effect in accordance with the prior art. However, the water repellent will form a film on the textile surface to harden the textile, and thus giving a poor hand feel.
2. Poor Breathability: The water repellent material is coated to form a continuous film onto the textile surface, and thus the textile breathability is blocked or reduced, and it is the main reason why present water-repellent textiles can be used for jackets and canvas only.
3. Low Durability: The conventional water-repellent textile coats the water repellent to form a film adhered on top of textile surface, such that after several times of use, rubbing and washing, the water-repellent function will be reduced easily due to the worn-out or de-lamination of the water-repellent film.
4. High Cost: The products in accordance with the prior art are using expensive water-repellent films and processed at a complicated processes.
5. Incompliant with Environmental Friendliness: Fluorine-containing polymer film (fluorine-containing acrylate resins, polyvinyl difluoride, PVDF or others) is used in the prior art, regardless of the film adhesion onto the textile, which is not an environmental friendly product.
The aforementioned drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art demands immediate attentions and feasible solution.